The first year, when everybody wanted in, might have seemed like a fluke.

But the crowds kept coming to this roadside home, located in an emerging mill district near Hampden. Come with reservations, or come prepared to strategize your way into the first seat that opens up at the big, rectangular bar.

The emphasis at this nominally Italian restaurant remains less on showing off than on careful cooking with prime ingredients. Birroteca is anything but run-of-the-mill.